Cane car



Sept. l0, 1929. L 1 McBRlDE' CANE CAR 2 sheds-sheer 1 Filed Sept. 25, 1928 rzke ' ATTORNEY LLL n:

Sepf. l0, 1929. 1 1 MnBRliQE- CANE CAR Filed Sept. 25. 1928 2 Sheets-SMBtP-Hz;

INVENTOR rhn J/Vrl'a'e BY ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFI-"ice, f

JOI-IN J. MCBRIDE, OF BAYONNE, NEVI JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OIF-NEW JERSEY.

CANE CAR.

Application filed September 25, 1928. Serial No. 308,209.

This invention relates to cane cars and has for one object to provide a latching means for side gates of cane cars, which gates are hingedly mounted for swinging movement to closed position by gravity.

Another obj ect of the invention is theprovision of a latching means for cane car side gates in which the operating rod for the latching means is relieved of all stresses, which are taken by the latch elements themselves.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a latching means for cane car si'de gates which is operable vertically to wedging position whereby to secure a side gate in closed position.

A. further object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the kind described which is of simple and durable construction, positive in its operation, inexpensive to manufacture and which may be readily applied to cars now in use as well as to new cars.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings in which:`

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of a cane car body having gates normally secured by a latching mechanism in accordance with the present invention; 4

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, of the car body shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of one of the latching mechanisms as applied to a cane car, the view being a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. e

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in which similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the several views, the invention is shown as applied to a cane car having a suitable underframe including side sills 2 to which are secured side posts 4 and end posts 6 which support side plates 8. The side plates 8 are preferably angles, to one flange of which hinged brackets 10 are secured and to which brackets pins 12 pivotally secure the ends of Vertical members 14 of side gates 16, two of which are indicated in Figure 1. The car is slightly wider at the side sills than itis at the side plates, and the lower endsy of members 14 are bent as shown'at 18 in Fig. 3 and the lower ends of said members are connected to the web 20 of a Z-bar 22 by angles 24 riveted at 26 to said web and said members; the upper chord 28 of the Z-bar 22 overlapping the lower endsof the members and the lower chord 30 being vadapted to normally rest against the web 32 of the side sill 2. The con-` struction just described provides an arrangement of parts in which the gates 16 are inclined whereby they swing to closed position by gravity, thereby ktending to retain the Z-bar 22 in contact with the web of the sidev sill and thus permitting the latch elements, presently to be described, to slide easily to holding position when locking the gate.

To secure each gate 16 in closed position a plurality of latching mechanisms 84 are provided as shown in Figure 1, and as they are identical a description of one will suffice for all.

Each latching mechanism includes a latch element 36 of wedge shape, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the same having an outwardly extending base portion38 provided with a horizontal elongated slot 40. Viewed.v in cross 4 section, as shown in Fig. 4, the latch element is T-shaped, the front face thereof being provided with lateral extensions or wings 42 which guide the latches during vertical movement thereof in T-sh'aped brackets 44secured by suitable fasteners 46 to the side sill 2.` IThe wings 42 do not extend the full length of the latch element, but terminate short of the upper end thereof to permit only the end of the latch to engage the lower chord 30 of Z-bar 22, and the lower end of the latch element is provided with a spacing ylug 48 which may, if desired, be a continuous rib extending across the wings 42to retain the latch element in parallel relation to the side sillas will be apparent.

As before mentioned, the latch element is wedge shaped, theouter edge thereof tapering upwardly from the end towardthe base ed to contact with the inner surface 52 of the T-shaped bracket A to firmly position the y latch element, the latter being rounded at its end to permit it to slide easily over the edge of the 4lower chord 3G of the Z-bar 22.

hIounted in brackets 54- seeured to the side sill Qare operating rods 56 the ends of which are upwardly bent to provide handles 5S which are normally retained in the position shown in Figure l by means of keepers which are slidable on rods 62 secured to the end post 6.V Each of these rods 56 is adapted to serve a plurality of latching mechanism, they being arranged through the slots a0, and these rods 56 are in the forni of snake rods, being provided with offset portions @el which engage the base portions of the latch elements, as-clearlv shown in Fig. 2.

In use, as before described herein, the gates 16 normally are retained in closed position because of their natural inclination. Figures 2 and 3 disclose constructions in which b gates are positively locked by the lateA elements andit can be seen in said figures that the wedge shaped latch element 3S is engaged or arranged over thelower chord 8O or the Z'bar 22, thereby preventing the opening of the gate. `ll'lhen it is desired to open the gate, the keepers are freed from their engage'- ment with the handles 58 and the rods 56 .are rotated by means of the handles, thereby turning the offset portion 64- and forcing the elements downwardly through the T-shaped brackets, thus freeing the upper ends of the latch elements from their engagement with the lower chord of the Zbar and permitting the gate to be swung away from the side sill to discharge the lading in the car. The gate normally swings to closed position by gravitv with the lower chord 8O of the Z-bar in engagement with'the web of the side sill, and when' it is desired to lock the gate in closed position the handles 58 are reversely operated l to actuate the odset portion @il of the rods 56 thereby forcing the latch elements upwardly until the upper ends thereof engage over the lower chord of the Z-bar 22.

From the above description, it is believed that the construction and operation of the'de, vice ofthe present invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art when taken with the accompanying drawings, but I desire it understood that the drawings are merely by way of example and, while illustrating the preferred forni of the invention, it is apparent that variousA changes in the form and proportions of the device may be made withinr the scopeof the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. y i

What is claimed is :y

1. In a car, a gate'mounted at its upper portion for swinging movement toV closed position by gravity, and means for holding said gate in closed position comprising latching mechanisms each including brackets seifravgeei cured below the lower edge of said gate, wedge shaped latch elements slidable vertically through the brackets to be wedged therein and to engage the lower edge of the gate, and a rod extending through the latch Y elements and rotatable to actuate the latter.

2. In a car, a gate mounted at its upper portion for swinging movement to closed position by gravity, and means for locking said gate in closed position comprising verticallyv sliding latch elements adapted to engage ythe gate when in elevated position, said elements having the rear edges thereof wedge shaped, brackets secured below the gate and having the interior surfaces thereof upwardly tapered to be wedgingly engaged by the latch elements, and a rod having offset portions extending through the latch elements, said rod being rotatable to reciprocate the latch elements to and from locking position.

3. In a car, side sills, a vertically hung gate hat' "f the lower edge thereof provided with a depending flange adapted to normally rest against the side sill, a linearlyr vertically movable latch element adapted to the depending flange to lock said gate, a bracket through which the latch elementextends, and means for actuatingV the latch element.

Al. In a car, side sills, a gate mounted at its upper portion for swinging movement to closed position by gravity, a bracket secured to the side sill and having a tapered inner surface, a latch element slidable through the bracket to engage the gate and having a tapered surface adapted to Contact with the inner surface of the bracket to be wedged therein, a slotted base forthe latchelement, and a rotatable operating rod workingin the slotted base for actuating the latch element.

5. A latch element for securing a car gate comprising a body portion i`shaped in cross section and having a tapered top edge.

6. A latchfeleinent of the kind desc ibed comprisii'ig a main portion of wedge shape ha Ying oppositely extending guiding wings, and a base arranged at substantially right angles thereto and provided with an elongated slot adapted to-receive an operating rod. 7. In a car, a vertically hung gate which assumes closed position by gravity, a bracket below the gate, a latch element extending through said bracket and having a kwedging surface adapted upon raising of the element to bind against the bracket, said element further having an outwardly extending slotted base portion for receiving an operating rod to raise and lower said element intoand out of holdingposition with the gate.

8. In ancar, a side sill, a vertically hung gate adapted to swing to closed position by gravity, and means for locking said gate in closed positioncomprising a bracket secured to the side sill and T-shaped in cross section, and a latch element slidably mounted in the bracket to be raised to engage the gate to lock the latter, said latch element being shapef in cross section to be guided by the bracket and having an outwardly extending Slotted base portion for receiving an operating rod, and a lug projecting from the latch element adapted to engage the side sill to retain the latch element parallel therewith when in locking position.

1o 9. lo a, oar, a Side Sill, a vertically hunt; gate having a 2-bar at its lower edge with the lower chord thereof normally engaging the sic e sill, and oleane for holdirig the gate in closed position comprising a wedge shaped 15 bracket secured to the side sill, a latch element slidable vertically through the bracket to be wedged therein and to engage the lower chord of the I/-bar, a base portion for the latch element provided with a horizontally 2o arranged slot, and an operating rod having an cll'set portion arranged in the slot, said rod being rotatable whereby the oilfeet portion moves the latch element upwardly into wedged locking position with respect to the gate or downwardly to free the latch element from its locking position.

ln witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN J. MCBRDE.

Cil 

